Laying off corn-rows



P. MOSELBZ, MODE or LAYING DOWN ROWS 0P CORN, co'r'ron, &c.

No. 2,882. Patented Dec. 12, 1842.

m: NQRFIXS PETERS co, PHOTD-UTHO.WASHINGTON, B. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT Y PETER MosELnr, or YAZOO COUNTY, Mis sIssirP-I,

, LAYING orr coast-Rows, a

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,882, dated December 12, 1842.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LVPEVTER MosnLEY, of Yazoo county and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and improved mode of laying off rows for farmers to plant on, say, corn, cotton, or any other kind of thing on a level or to give them any descent that may be desirable on broken, rolling, or undulating lands; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription.

The nature of my invention consists in forming a level or horizontal plane by sight to measure from by means of a portable plumb staff, with amiovable object suspended on it to sight to the plumb stalf and movable object operating as a moving gage to measure or gage from the horizontal sight as a guide. a

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, as per model, or drawing herewith presented.

I would take a suitable stand in a field,

say F, is a field to be laid, off and form a.

level or horizontal plane in any of the known forms. For instance I would have two straight edges E, E, of sufficient width to 7 keep from springing, say eight or ten feet long, more or less, place them eight or ten feet apart more or less nearlyparallel with each other and precisely level and horizontal with each other, suspend them on stakes stuck in the ground, S, S, S, S, and by means of small pulleys or otherwise bring them to a level or horizontal by the use of a'plumb, spirit, or water level, and if you prefer it you may have two additionalstraight edges to drop in across at each end of the first two, and level with them, but I think the first two will do as well as more with a person that understands arranging the sight properly then sight cross in any direction and it gives you a largehorizontal atmospheric plane by sight over the field to measure from by means of a plumb staff and a movable object or-targ'et suspended on it to sight to thevertical stafi I would have ten, fifteen, or twenty feet long, more or less to suit ground, and laid off into inches and parts of inches so as to give any descent that may be wanted, and the target I would have so constructed that I could slip it to any point on the staff and there remain until you move it, say we (it takes two to lay olf one to carry the staff and the other to sight). commence a row at A, as laid down on the annexed drawings. Set the lower end of the stafi' P, on A, and slip the target 0, to M, on the staff, now to have this row level to B, the target must not be moved until you get to B. Say you proceed from A, ten steps or thirty feet and try your staff by moving it upon higher or the target to A, on the stafi, and move on in the same manner to D, then set your staff on E, and move the target down to B, on

the staff and move'on in like manner to H,

those three rows are laid off on a level. Now we will set the stalf on I, and slip the target up or down until it meets the sight, then go say thirty feet and slip the target up one inch on the staif and move the stalf upon higher or lower ground until the a target meets the sight, then go on thirty feet farther and'slip the target up one inch and try it to the sight as before, and so on at every thirty feet slip the target upone inch, and it gives you one inch descent for .every thirty feet, we will now lay off the row with M, in the middle you may begin at either end, but when you commence have the target placed to the sight, and go thirty feet, then slip the target down one inch and try it to the sight as before and so on at every thirty feet until you come to M, then reverse the thing and slip the target up at every thirty feet, and try it to the sight as before, and this will give a descent from M, each way one inch to every thirty feet, and in this way you can give more or less descent as you please, and can draw the water off your field to any point you may think proper, and after getting your horizontal or level once fixed, you can lay ofl all around it in every direction as far as loo your sight can extend correctly without movr ing it. Consequently. it is a much more expeditious mode of laying off in a horizontal 7 way than any heretofore in use. hen you commence laying oft a boy may follow with his plane and takethe small stakes on to the end of the row, and in this way two 7 the Water off of broken lands in a gradual other kind of thing by the application of Way, thereby preventing the Wash of the a horizontal sight to gage or-measure from land from the fall of heavy rains. as herein described.

\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire PETER MOSELEY. 5 to secure by Letters Patent is, Witnesses:

This my mode of laying ofi rows for farm- V C. W. EDWARDS,

ers to plant on, say corn, cotton, or any M. A. JENKINS. 

